To one more year together
by eviechan68
Summary: With a small baby to take care of, Korra and Mako have to spend the New Year's Eve in a different way. Family AU/ Baby fic. Estabilished Makorra. Fluff, fluff, fluff all the way (you've been warned xD)


Mako shook the thin layer of snow that has begun to melt off of his umbrella. Winter had started recently but was already giving signs it was going to be severe this year.

He quietly entered his apartment; he unwrapped the deep red scarf from his neck and hung it on the rack near the front door, along with his trenchcoat .

"I'm home, Kor?"

Mako found his girlfriend sitting on the couch in their small living room, rocking slowly the baby stroller in front of her.

"Hey, welcome back!" she greeted him, her voice right above a whisper.

Mako quickly joined her, sitting by her side and giving her a light peck on the lips.

"Hey, sweetie. How's our baby girl doing?"

Smiling softly, Korra tucked in the tiny ebony baby who was peacefully asleep in front of her.

"Taking a nice nap with her tummy full of milk," she said with a small chuckle. "Yeah, our girl has a difficult life."

Mako chuckled too, a bit envious of his daughter. A nice meal and a nap sounded great for him at the moment, and he bet Korra would agree with him.

"And you, how was your day?"

"Oh, you know: diapers, breastfeeding, more diapers... " Korra let out a deep sigh, tiredness evident in her voice. "Just the usual from lately."

"Yours?" She asked.

"Actually, it was pretty uneventful for a New Year's Eve... _Thankfully._ " Mako snaked an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and pulled her closer. "Spent most of the day just dealing with paperwork... and it just made me more eager to come back home to my two favorite women in this whole world." he tenderly kissed her smily lips.

"You're a cheeseball, but you already knows that," she teased.

"I do, and you love me just like that, don't deny it." he smirked.

"Ugh!" Korra nudged him slightly in the ribs. The baby stirred up a bit in her sleep, reminding both to spreak in a lower tone.

"Asami called earlier. She invited us to her New Year's party..." Korra basically whispered.

"In that snow? With a 22 days-old newborn? There's no way we can go this year! No!" Mako stated, waving his hand.

The heiress was famous for the sumptuous parties at her mansion, always atended by the most powerful and influential people of the city and other nations as well. They usually were among the biggest - and most talked about - events on the city. The New Year's ball was no different.

Korra shot a glare at Mako. "Of couse I said we can't go," Korra growled, "and she understood. Tenzin called too, and also Bolin."

The old master airbender also held a ceremony at the Air Temple on the last day of the year, and after that, one big dinner in family. Korra being like a daughter to him, always was invited. Bolin now had his own family and now spend the year-end festivities in Zaofu with his wife's relatives and their own children.

"I told them all we'll have to stay at home this year." Korra said, a tint of frustration in her voice, and Mako catch that.

"I'm sorry you've being in a sort of...house arrest lately..." Mako held her hand and gave her a sympathetic smile.

Mako knew how energetic and restless his girlfriend could be, and how being tied to just one place tended to be... unnerving to her. Korra was used to travel, to bend, to jump and to fight - things she wasn't able to do much in the last nine months, and that she had been very vocal on her complaints.

"Oh! Don't be so dramatic, Mako!" Korra dismissed him, "and besides we still can have our New Year's dinner here together." She offered with that signature grin of hers.

"Sounds great to me!", he promptly agreed.

"Then I'll order the food and you, mister" she playfully shoved him away, "go take a nice hot bath. I know you're a firebender but it must be freezing outside."

Mako smiled content, glad for her concern. He planted a kiss on her cheek - and did what he was told to right away.

o0o

"Since when the food got so expensive?" Mako complained while putting the takeout bags on the dinner table. "Just because those dishes are considered seasonal," he grumbled.

Korra rolled her eyes at him, "could you be less of a grumpy, at least tonight?"

She picked up a box full of steammed buns and brought it close to her nostrils, inhaling it's delicious smell. "These are said to bring good luck on New Years's Eve.", she said.

"And do you believe in that kind of stuff?" Mako raised an eyebrow to her.

Korra just shrugged. "They're tasty and that's what matters," she concluded stuffing one of the buns in her mouth, as Mako just shook his head.

Korra and Mako sat down to have their dinner in the small kitchen, it was far from the feast they would be having if they were at the Sato mansion or the Air Temple Island, but the feeling of closeness between them they surely won't have at both of those events.

"We should make a toast," Korra proposed still with a mouthful of noodles.

"Okay, and we'll toast to?..."

"Well... We got a lot to celebrate this year, don't you think?" she winked at him.

Mako nodded in agreement - they did, they definitely did.

"Allright, but it has to be with lychee juice, since you still cannot have alcohol." he stated, already picking up her glass and filling it up.

"I know, _mom_ " Korra sneered, giving him another eye roll.

But at the very moment when they both raised their glasses, the sound of a child's wail came from the other room...

"Aaand it seems the aftermath of the last time I had alcohol needs me..." Korra singsonged.

"Hey! Don't refer to our daughter like that!" scolded a very flushed Mako.

"As if it hadn't happened that way!" Korra poked her tongue out, laughing of his distress. She stood up to atend the crying infant but Mako was faster than her.

"I got it," he put a hand on her shoulder, and gently pulled her down to her chair again. "I'm done eating and besides, you already had her all day."

"Oh! Thanks." she breathed out, visibly relieved.

He kissed the top of her head and left the kitchen.

Later when Mako returned, Korra wasn't in kitchen anymore. Instead she was standing in front of the living room window, her gaze lost somewhere at the snowflakes falling outside.

"I'm back," Korra jumped slightly at hearing his voice, "she just needed a change and is already back to sleep."

"How can you be so good with her?" Korra pouted indignant.

"No need to thank me", he joked, not containing a smug smirk from spreading across his face - what got him another nudge from his girlfriend.

Mako wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled Korra closer to him. He buried his face on her hair and inhaled deeply, breathing her in.

Korra put her arms around his waist and just let herself sunk on his embrace. Relishing on a feeling of calmness only his warmth could bring.

"You seemed so distracted when I got back," he murmured, his voice muffled by her dark brown locks. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Not really. I was just thinking about everything that happened throughout this year... Isn't it what people are supposed to do at a day like today?" Korra mused.

"I guess it is..."

Inside his mind, Mako made a quick retrospective of the last twelve months. This wasn't a year to bring down Tyrants or to defeat fanatic terrorists, no; but still it was one to take note of. This time for good, though, to vary things a bit. Not this meaning it has been an easy year, spirits know it wasn't. There were so much changes and too fast - most of them being unplanned as always seems to be with the two, leaving no choice unless to adapt to what life throws at them. But it was one of the perks of being in love with Korra, he always thought.

"Kor...", Korra felt him suddenly grow tense around her, "is there anything that you regret this year?"

She raised her head to look at him deeply in the eyes, smiling fondly.

"No", she asserted steadily, in order to calm his fears.

"You?" she asked.

Mako leaned down and rested his forehead on hers, "Nothing.", he affirmed. Both couldn't help but grin at each other. Korra raised her chin up and catched his lips between hers in a passionate kiss, in case there still remains some doubt on him.

"Is it already midnight?" he asked a little out of breath, probably referring to the famous tradition of the midnight kiss - probably one of his poor attempts of humor.

"Do I need a specific time to kiss you, city boy?" she laughed.

He answered her with another kiss. This time pulling her body flushed against his.

"Wait, wait! We forgot our toast" she suddenly pulled away from and gestured with her head to the two glasses of juice that Mako not even saw that were on the coffe table.

Groaning, he let her go off of his arms. He watched Korra bend over to pick up the two glasses and give one to him.

"So?" he looked at her expectantly.

"Let me think," Korra bit her lip pensively, then raised her glass: "To our cute baby girl and... to _us_." she said putting an extra emphasis on the last word, "To one more year together."

"To us," Mako repeated, "to a _lot_ more years together."

"Hmmm, I like this one better" she grinned.

Both clincked their glasses together and took a sip of the juice, to right after forget about it again. In no time his hands were on her waist again and her lips were on his. They both knew their night wouldn't go far beyond that, since Korra was still recovering from childbirth and soon their daughter would need attention but, it was so hard for them to have some alone time lately, why not make the most of it when it happened?

But then the sound of a firework exploding not too far away from their apartment made both jump in surprise, and was followed by the piercing sound of a baby crying down the hallway...

"Nooo..." Korra whined while Mako just threw his hands up.

"You go?" Korra tried.

"Hey! But already was me last time!" Mako complained.

"Okay, how about we go together then?"

Both were still trying to soothe their newborn - who was just scared by all the loud fireworks exploding nearby - when midnight came. They just realize it when it was far past bedtime as they collapsed exhausted on their bed.

"Happy New Year, Korra." he mumbled sleepily, his eyes too tired to open up to look at his girlfriend.

"Happynewyearloveyou..." she slurred her words almost unintelligibly, drapping her arm limp over his chest.

Still, Mako fell asleep smiling. If this would be how he was supposed to spent the year that had just begun, well, it definitely will be a tiring one for sure. But if this also means having Korra by his side - along with their daughter - then everything will be worthy when this year reach it's end.

"To one more year together."

* * *

This fic was supposed to be posted before New Year's Eve but I was not really happy with it so I wrote it again - and again xP

Anyways, hope it's not that bad, or the characters are too ooc.

Thanks a lot for reading! Feedback is appreciated :)


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